Telia CEO hands in his notice

Johan Dennelind, CEO of Swedish telco group Telia Company, had decided to call it a day after six years at the helm.

Dennelind has a 12-month notice period, however, so he’s going nowhere in a hurry. But he’ll presumably be hoping they find his replacement sooner rather than later so he can have a nice big chunk of gardening leave and get some serious sauna time in.

“It is a true privilege to serve as President and CEO of Telia Company, one of Sweden’s oldest and largest companies,” said Dennelind. “During the last years I have, together with the Board and my team, implemented a transformation and re-alignment of Telia into a company that is well-positioned and well-equipped for the future.

“Telia Company is now entering a new phase with several opportunities for value-creation and with strong commitment from all our more than 20,000 employees. And it is after careful considerations that I now have decided to leave Telia and take on new challenges. I will continue in my role to drive our current agenda forward with full focus and commitment for as long as the Board wants.”

“During his six years as CEO, Johan has vigorously worked with the repositioning of Telia Company,” said Marie Ehrling, Chair of the Telia Board. “The culture and strategy of the company have changed fundamentally and Telia is today a company with strong business focus that truly represents responsible business. Johan’s strong and brave leadership has been crucial for this transformation. The Board and I regret that Johan has chosen to leave the company, but at the same time we respect his decision to take a new step in his career.

“I also want to emphasize the very strong cooperation we have enjoyed during Johan’s tenure as President and CEO. We have had several difficult and tough situations to address and the fact that Johan has always acted with strength and wisdom has been of great importance for the development of Telia. Johan has assured the Board that he will continue in his present role with full force as long as it is needed during his notice period. This secures continuity and focus on several important projects and processes in the company.”

It’s not known whether the new challenges Dennelind alluded to extend to more than sitting in small, hot, humid rooms, but if he does feel the need to get another job it looks like he can count on a good reference from Telia.